How to Clean Corduroy Shoes? (COMPLETE GUIDE 2024)


How To Clean Corduroy Shoes

Are you seeking winter warmers for cold months? Corduroy shoes are a must-have to keep your feet cozy in the coldest months of the year.

However, cleaning shoes, especially those made of Corduroy, may be challenging. How to clean Corduroy shoes? 

Don’t get yourself stressed out! This article will recommend the most practical methods to help you get a new-like pair of shoes. Let’s click on it!

What Are Corduroy Shoes? 

Before diving into detailed guides to clean your shoes, it’s best to understand this type of footwear clearly.

What is Corduroy? In the eighteenth century in England, it first appeared when factory workers added ridge to the ordinary wool cloth Duroy, which was developed from fustian material.

It is a herringbone woven material, and its threads are sewn together diagonally with broad vertical ribs.

Cotton and a cotton combination, such as wool and cotton, are the most common material.

It is a dense, robust, ridged, and warm fabric that offers a unique look, both formal and casual, simultaneously.

This cozy fabric is often applied to make winter clothes like footwears, jackets, skirts, or suits. 

In its simplest terms, Corduroy shoes are made of Corduroy material to keep feet warm in the winter months.

There are two sides to this material. While footwears keep your feet warm and comfortable, they are also challenging to clean.

If you are looking for some methods to clean this footwear without damaging it, let’s scroll down to get the proper techniques!

Corduroy fabric

How To Clean Corduroy Shoes? 

Below are the most complete and easy-to-understand instructions to make your pair of Corduroy footwears clean. Let’s take a closer look!

Solution 1: Regular Cleaning

Preparation: 

  • A soft toothbrush
  • A clean, dry towel
  • A hose for vacuuming

Step-by-step instructions: 

Step 1: You should wash your hands first.

Step 2: To find out which way the nap is pointing, use your clean hand to run over your shoes in each orientation. 

The direction in which you feel softer corresponds to the nap.

Step 3: Use a dry soft toothbrush or a clean, dry towel to brush the shoes’ exteriors in the nap’s direction.

You can eliminate any surface debris and expand the pile this way.

Step 4: You can also use a vacuum hose to eliminate the dust and make the pile higher. Blow into the nap using a vacuum hose several times as possible.

Regular cleaning

Solution 2: Exterior Shoe Cleaning

Preparation: 

  • A washcloth
  • A clean, dry brush
  • A dry clean towel
  • Mild detergent
  • Water
  • A lint roller

Step-by-step instructions: 

Step 1: If your shoes feature many laces, you can remove them.

Use a mild detergent to wash all the laces in a basin.

Step 2: Pour warm water into the basin. 

Step 3: Pour a mild detergent, like Woolite, into the warm water and then stir to blend the two liquids.

Step 4: Use a clean, dry brush or a dry towel to gently rub each shoe’s exterior to get rid of dust and dirt. Brush your shoe following the nape’s direction.

Step 5: Dip a clean washcloth into the warm water and dry it out. 

Use a washcloth to brush your shoes’ exterior gently. Avoid soaking your whole shoe and brushing since this way will destroy the shoes’ pile. 

Step 6: Keep washing until your footwears are clean.

Step 7: Pour warm water into the basin after emptying it and rinsing it.

Step 8: Dip a washcloth in a bowl of water and then wring it out. Gently wipe the shoe’s exterior with a moist washcloth to remove any detergent residue.

Step 9: To absorb the moisture, press down a dry cloth on your shoe’s exterior.

Step 10: Allow the shoes to dry naturally.

Step 11: If there is any lint accumulated on the exterior of your footwears, remove it using a lint roller.

Lint rollers

Solution 3: Interior Shoe Cleaning

Preparation: 

  • Baking soda
  • A vacuum hose

Step-by-step instructions: 

Step 1: Fill each shoe with roughly three teaspoons of baking soda.

Step 2: To cover the inside bottom with baking soda, place your palm over your footwear opening and gently move it backward and forward.

Coat the top inner of each footwear with baking soda if necessary.

Step 3: Allow your shoes to soak in the baking soda powder for around one hour.

Step 4: After one hour, use a clean vacuum hose to eliminate any residual baking soda powder from your shoes.

Step 5: If your shoes haven’t been clear yet, repeat from step 1 to step 4 until they are completely clean.

Baking soda

Extra Tips While Cleaning Corduroy Shoes 

If it’s your first time cleaning Corduroy shoes, below are extra tips to make your task much more manageable. Let’s keep reading!

  • Don’t put your footwears in the washing machine. The adhesive in the shoe bottoms might loosen if it becomes wet. 
  • When cleaning this fabric, avoid using hot water since it will shrink the cloth.
  • When washing shoes, be gentle since the pile might become deformed or crushed if you aren’t careful.

If your shoes have some stains, here are some helpful tricks to remove them: 

  • Combine powdered, liquid soap with cold water in a ratio of 1:1 to form a paste.
  • Apply this paste to the stains immediately.
  • If you’re using liquid laundry detergent, soak a clean cloth in this paste and dab it on the stains.
  • Rub the soapy water gently into the discolored area. 
  • Rinsing your footwears with water.

Lint may cling to your footwear due to the properties of this fabric. 

Removing lint may be a disaster if you don’t know the suitable method. Follow some guides below: 

  • Brush the pile with a toothbrush following the pile’s direction.
  • Otherwise, you can also use adhesive tape or a lint roller to wrap over your hand to remove the lint.
  • You can use a tumble dryer to dry it. If not, allow your shoes to air dry.

To keep your shoe bug-free, place them in a ventilated canvas reusable bag.

Avoid keeping in plastic because it promotes discoloration and can absorb moisture that causes mildew, creating an ideal setting for bugs.

Extra cleaning tips

FAQs

Is It Difficult To Clean Corduroy Shoes?

The answer is Yes! This material, despite its durability, is readily matted, damaging the fabric nap.

Cleaning this type of fabric is hard

Is It Necessary To Wash Corduroy Before Wearing It?

No, it’s not necessary. Unlike clothes, you don’t need to wash this type of footwear before wearing it. 

Is It Possible To Steam Corduroy?

Yes! This fabric is relatively easy to steam. 

Keep your steamer’s nozzle a few inches away from the fabric’s surface to minimize ironing ridges.

Are Corduroy Shoes Waterproof?

The sad news is no! If you are looking for a pair of waterproof footwears, Corduroy types are not a good choice. 

This fabric may get wet without causing damage to the fabric. However, your shoes will get wet if they are exposed to water.

Can You Bleach Corduroy?

You can bleach this cloth, but it varies on the product. This fabric is a cotton-based fabric.

Cotton fibers can survive bleaching, but not all material is treated the same way.

It depends on the product

What’s The Best Way To Revive Fading Corduroy?

If you wash your item made of this fabric in the washing machine, it’s best to take it out when it is still damp. 

If there is any flattened pile, you can use a soft clothes brush to restore it. After that, let it dry naturally. 

Is It Possible To Iron Patches Onto Corduroy?

Smooth materials are preferable for embroidery iron-on patches. Therefore, it’s challenging to use them on this type of fabric. 

Can Corduroy Stretch Or Shrink?

The answer is yes! If you don’t know how to care for this material properly, it will stretch or shrink.

It may shrink and stretch

How Can You Remove The Odor From Corduroys?

If your Corduroy shoes have unpleasant odors, you can use vinegar to get rid of these bad things. 

Is It Possible To Wash Corduroy In The Washing Machine?

If it’s Corduroy clothes, it’s ok to wash these garments in the washing machine. However, it is a different story to shoes made of this fabric.

These items may be ruined because they get wet, and the adhesive in the bottom will loosen.

Don’t put your Corduroy shoes in the washing machine

In A Nutshell 

This article has ultimately got to the bottom of your headache question: How to clean Corduroy shoes?

To sum up, if you master the proper method, cleaning this type of footwear is no longer a disaster. 

We have recommended the most effective methods, from popular to advanced, to choose the best-suited one.

You can share it in the comment below if you know other techniques. Hopefully, this blog post will be helpful for you. Thanks for reading!

James Dylan

James is a journalist who specializes in sports journalism. In addition to his passion for writing, he also loves running. He knows which shoes are best for running and which are ideal for sports. He is happy to offer valuable advice on shoe-related matters.

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